As used herein, flexible strapping (or webbing) refers to, for instance, rayon, nylon, polyester, polypropylene, or other flexible material in a flat strip format used to secure cargo. In the packing and shipping industries, flexible strapping is usually dispensed from rolls. Strapping widths of ½-1⅝ inches are typical. In use, flexible strapping is used to secure cargo, for example, by bundling multiple items together and/or by securing a load to a skid or truck bed.
Buckles are used to couple two ends of a single flexible strap, or to daisy chain two or more straps together. Such buckles are also typically configured to facilitate tensioning of the strap(s). One type of buckle is a wire buckle, so named because it is formed from a single piece of wire or rod. An advantage of wire buckles is that they are relatively inexpensive to manufacture. Conventional wire buckles have shortcomings when used with flexible strapping, however. For instance, known wire buckle configurations include irregular geometries and/or suffer from asymmetrical interference between different portions of the buckle (typically the shoulders) during use. As a consequence, conventional buckles deform under tension, placing uneven stresses on the flexible strapping being retained. Such uneven stresses can cause the flexible strapping to fray and, eventually, to fail.
Therefore, a need exists for an improved wire buckle that is less prone to distortion for use with flexible strapping.